EP 177: TALES FROM THE MOUNTAIN GARDENER WITH KEN LAIN

The Retail Whore

Ken Lain is known by his friends as 'The Mountain Gardener'. His weekly garden advice is featured by Prescott Living and Prescott Woman Magazines, the Daily Courier, Prescott eNews, and Signals AZ Newspapers. Ken is passionate about plants, creative landscape design, and spreading the good news that gardening is healthy and fun.

Ken dreamed of owning his own business after graduating from Prescott High School. Yavapai College peaked his business interest and finished a management degree from ASU's W.P. Carey School of Business. His garden credentials are Master Gardener, Certified Nursery Profession, and Watters

Garden Center owner, located on Iron Springs Road in Prescott.

Ken and wife Lisa host the 'Mountain Garden radio hour' as they share garden tips, tricks, and techniques on both The Big Talker and KQNA talk radio. Throughout the week, Ken talks up plants at Watters Garden Center in Prescott, where his digital garden center is located online at Top10Plants.com.

Here, Ken talks about his transition from a career in banking to going all-in on gardening. He shares his experience as a second-generation business owner and how he’s making Watters Garden Center his own. Ken also shares how he keeps things fresh in the store, his budgeting strategy, how he creates a fun culture for his employees, and how he stayed afloat during COVID.

This episode is sponsored by Show Me Your Store. Show Me Your Stores is a program I started about a year ago where you send me photos and videos of something in your store that's a challenge. If you comment “Show Me Your Store” on any of MC Design Collaboration videos or posts on Instagram, you will get an auto-response form that you can fill out and upload photos and videos, and let me know what your challenges are.
I'll do the video, and I am adding in a free 15-minute Zoom call with you after. You can either take my advice, do the shifts and the moves, and show me what you did for some feedback, or you can use this time to ask me additional questions or whatever you want that will hopefully help you get to your goal.
Again, comment Show Me Your Store on any of MC Design Collaboration Instagram posts, and you will get the form. Send it in, and I will see you on the video.
What’s Inside:

• Ken’s transition from a career in banking to owning a garden center
• How Ken keeps products and displays fresh
• How Ken kept things going during COVID

Mentioned In This Episode:
Watters Garden Center
Watters Garden Center on Instagram
Watters Garden Center on Facebook
Watters Garden Center on YouTube